Ties That Bind
by AKJ4
Summary: Bittersweet blessings for one Doctor Ormerod
1. Chapter 1

Ties That Bind

"Thank you Mrs Sudcliffe. Good bye." Jill Weatherill dismissed her last patient of Monday morning surgery. Mrs Sudcliffe, an elderly woman whom Jill considered to be very sweet if a little too talkative opened the door of the office and departed. Not two seconds afterwards, a knock came on her open door. Jill turned around from the notes she was making and smiled when she saw who it was.

"Have you got a minute?" Gordon Ormerod asked.

Jill pretended to consider his question seriously. "I suppose so, for you, Doctor Ormerod." She smiled, her eyes twinkling at him.

Gordon closed the door and approached her. He leaned down and kissed her softly, a kiss which Jill gratefully received.

"So, what can I do for you?" She leaned back in her chair, gazing at him with a soft smile playing on her lips.

Gordon moved to perch on her desk, next to the chair she was sitting on. "Nothing really, I just missed you."

"Two hours away from me too much for you was it?" Jill laughed.

Gordon kissed her again for an answer.

"I assume since you're loitering in here, that you've seen all your patients." She arched an eyebrow at him.

"Yep! And thank goodness for that! I don't think I've ever seen so many verrucae in a two hour period!"

She laughed, nudging him gently. "You love it really."

He pulled a face at her before bending down and sliding his hands around her waist. He pressed his lips gently to hers, tightening his arms around her as she returned the kiss. Unfortunately, as often happened when they finally had some time alone, they were interrupted. An urgent knock on Jill's door broke them apart. Gordon sprung away from Jill and stood a more respectable distance away from her as she called "Come in."

They both turned their attention to the door to see Lizzie Kennoway looking a little flustered. "Doctors, there's been a bad accident off North Cliff Road. Two cars have gone over the cliff. Both of you are needed."

"Thank you Lizzie." Jill grabbed her doctor's bag and her car keys and started out of the door.

Gordon grabbed Jill's coat and hurried to his room to collect his own bag and coat. He ran outside to see Jill already sitting in her car, engine running. He leapt into the little mini and as soon as he'd put his seatbelt on, she pulled out of the car park and drove with speed towards the accident site.

"I got your coat by the way." Gordon informed her.

Jill briefly glanced at him and smiled. "Thank you. What you do without you eh?"

"Freeze I expect."

* * *

><p>With Jill's skillful navigation of the streets of Elsinby and out into the moorland, Jill and Gordon were stood beside North Cliff Road within ten minutes of leaving the hospital. They looked with some trepidation upon a helicopter in a vast grassy area a few metres away from them.<p>

"We're not going to have to go in that thing are we?" Gordon said, his voice showing his obvious disdain for the prospect.

"'Fraid so Doctor." PC Belamy replied. The police and rescue helicopter had arrived some fifteen minutes earlier. "There's no other way. The cliff is too dangerous to climb down, and besides it'd take too long to get down there and far too difficult to the victims back up."

Jill took a deep breath to try and calm her nerves about dangling from a helicopter. She glanced at Gordon who looked just as nervous as she felt. She then looked away as she saw a man running towards them.

"You the doctors?" He shouted when he was still some metres away.

Jill nodded and the man beckoned them to follow him before running towards the helicopter. Jill and Gordon followed swiftly, ducking down as they ran beneath the helicopter's whirling blades. The wind created by the blades flattened the grass around the aircraft, and put pay to Jill's meticulous hairstyle.

"Put these on." The man shouted, handing them a harness and a helmet each. Whilst Gordon could place the helmet straight on his head, Jill had to slide the elasticated bands from her hair and loop them back round the strands to form a new ponytail at the base of her neck. This allowed her to both fit the headgear on, and keep her hair tidy, for safety and practical purposes. Harry, the helicopter crew member, secured the items he had given them, then directed the two doctors into the back of the helicopter before entering himself and sliding the door shut behind him.

As the helicopter rose slowly from the ground, Jill and Gordon sat clutching their doctor's bags in their laps and looking decidedly queasy. They looked at each other hoping to receive some reassurance from the other's face, but what they saw only served to make them feel worse.


	2. Chapter 2

"We'll lower one of our men down first and then we'll lower you down." The man shouted at Jill and Gordon as they hovered over the sea.

They nodded, their hearts racing and adrenaline pumping in anticipation. Jill looked out of the window to the rocks below. Her hand flew to her mouth. She laid her other hand on Gordon's arm to get his attention. Once she had, she pointed out the window, unable to speak.

Gordon leaned over her and saw what she was pointing at. "No, oh no." He muttered, shaking his head. They were both thinking the same thing; it would be a miracle for someone to be alive in the wreckage. He sat back and grasped Jill's hand, squeezing it tightly.

The man's voice broke through their thoughts. "Right, who's first?" Harry glanced between the two of them but received no answer. "Okay, you." He pointed at Gordon. "Stand up and I'll attach the ropes to you."

Gordon took one last look at Jill who had her mouth pursed grimly. He gave her hand a final squeeze and then stood up. It only took a few minutes until he was properly ready and secure. The man then briefed him on what he was to do and then he stood at the edge of the helicopter, grasping his doctor's bag firmly. He breathed in deeply, closed his eyes and, after instruction from Harry, stepped out into midair. He only opened his eyes when he was sure he wasn't falling. It wasn't until he felt his feet touch solid ground that he released a breath he hadn't realised he was holding in. A crew member from the helicopter steadied him and detached him from the ropes.

He watched them being hoisted back up and minutes later, Jill appeared at the edge. It was only watching her being suspended from the helicopter that he realised how big the distance was. After a nervous minute for Gordon, Jill finally reached the rocks upon which he was standing. The helicopter crew member, Derek, moved forward to release the clips connecting her harness to the ropes.

"Okay?" Gordon asked.

Jill nodded, not yet ready to speak. He took her hand and they helped each other over the rocks towards the cars. It was a mangled wreck of twisted metal, and broken glass. A couple of the occupants of the cars could be easily seen. They were bloodied messes to the extent that they were barely recognisable as human beings.

They noted the waves breaking against the rocks, and the proximity of the water to the cars. They had already been informed that the tide was coming in. Within 30 minutes, the rocks they were standing upon, the wreckage, any survivors would be underwater.

The doctors tried to ready themselves for the worst. Time was of critical importance in any immediate care case, but with the added threat of the rising water... They didn't imagine how bad the worst was to be.


	3. Chapter 3

Jill clambered over the final rock between herself and the cars. She slid the final distance, but paid little heed to the scuffs and scratches to her hands and legs. She scrambled the short distance over the wet, slippery surface.

As Jill slithered to one car, Gordon followed to the other, both equally as unrecognisable as vehicles, such was the damage. He knew before he started what the outcome of his examination would be. The injuries were horrific. Face were unidentifiable, the injuries were those that few would ever have survived. Still, he had to carry out his heart-wrenching task.

Eventually, he straightened up, his hands covered in the blood of others. He eased himself from the tangled metal, having established that the victims were a middle-aged man, and three teenagers. The only comfort he could provide himself with was that the injuries appeared severe enough to have been immediately fatal. He refused to contemplate the possibility that any of them may have been conscious for any length of time.

Jill had disappeared inside the other wreckage. Gordon flicked his eyes to the waves, now licking the bottom of the wrecks. "Jill!" He shouted, climbing the distance to the other car. He placed a forearm on the roof, and lent down to peer in. "The tide is coming in. We have to go."

"Just a minute." She twisted in her cramped position in the footwell of the car, rummaged in her Doctor's bag and grabbed some gauze. Whatever needed her attention was hidden from his view.

"How are they?" When she glanced back him, he nodded to the two adults slumped in the front of the car.

"Dead." She whispered. "And yours...?"

He nodded grimly. She reached back once more, taking a syringe and a small vial of clear liquid.

"Can you take my bag?" Jill finally asked, after a few more moments, during which time, Gordon had become increasing edgy at the waves creeping steadily closer to them. He acquiesced, placing her bag on the rocks, and moving to allow her room to edge backwards. As she made to stand, he placed a steadying hand on her arm, and one on the doorframe, shielding her head from injury.

Only when she turned did the tiny bundle in her arms become apparent to Gordon. His surprise was audible.

"She's alive." Jill whispered, gazing with Gordon at the baby that could have been no more than three weeks old.

* * *

><p>The sea rose steadily, creeping up the rocks, closer to where they stood. The bigger waves even sloshed over their shoes, soaking through the material and chilling their toes.<p>

"Jill." Gordon said we some urgency, taking hold of her elbow. "We have to get going."

Her attention, however, was not on the impending threat of the sea. Instead, her gaze flicked between the two wrecks, at the people within them. "We can't just leave them!"

"They're dead." He winced as he said this, hating forcing himself to detach himself from death. But he had to be pragmatic; there was no use in risking their own lives for people who couldn't be saved.

"I know! But they deserve more than this!" She looked down at the blood on her skirt, her coat, her hands.

"Think of the baby. If we act quickly, we may be able to save one life today."

"I..." She glanced around her, knowing there was nothing she could do, before nodding in assent.

Jill and Gordon traversed the perilous terrain carefully, but with an urgency within them both that made each step seem painfully slow. Gordon steadied Jill, often catching her when she slipped or stumbled, his hand grasping her elbow, the other around her waist. With the baby cradled in her arms, she was unable to stop herself falling with her own hands.

Eventually, they reached where Derek stood, the ropes held in his hand, ready to attach them to a harness. Gordon set both doctors bags down and gingerly took the baby from Jill's arms. He placed a hand to her back, gently pushing her towards Derek who immediately clipped ropes to her harness with practised speed. The baby was then handed back to Jill, a look of fear, yet an attempt at mutual reassurance passing between the two doctors.

After a signal from Derek, the rope became taught, pulling on the harness, and her feet left the ground. She clutched the baby as tight as she dared to her chest. Her instinct was to hold her with all her strength, but she was mindful of the injuries she yet didn't not the extent of; she didn't want her actions to exacerbate them.

The cold wind coming off the sea buffeted her, and as she rose higher, ever closer towards the helicopter, the gusts of air created by the blades hit her from above. She bent her head, attempting to cover the baby as much as she could. When the sound from the blades was so loud she thought they were going to be deafened, a hand reached out from inside the helicopter, grasping the harness and pulling both herself and the baby into the metal craft.

She peered over through the door to the rocks below, a gasp emitting from her, the sound masked by the whirring blades. The sea had risen much higher in the time it had taken her to be winched into the aircraft. Gordon and the coastguard were now struggling to stay standing in the strong waves, the water midway up their shins.


	4. Chapter 4

Jill's heart thudded terribly as she tore her attention away from the rising water below the helicopter. If it were possible, she was even more scared than she had been when she was being winched up. Time was obviously critical for the two men; the water was rising and the waves were crashing with more strength against the side of the cliff. Even at the height she was at, Jill could tell this from the amount of white scattering from the water's forceful contact with the rocks. As another wave broke, Gordon stumbled, his arms flying out either side of him. Jill gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. Derek quickly grabbed hold of the doctor, steadying him, though the stance of the two men was no less perilous.

Jill's attention was taken from the scene below only by the presence of the baby; her doctor's instincts kicking in. With practised skill, she intubated the unconscious form. All the while, however, part of her attention was fixed on the open door to the helicopter, willing the two people to enter through it.

She delved once more into her doctor's bag, laying out the standard hospital green cloth and laying upon it the medical equipment she would need. The pieces to construct a drip were laid out first. Following this were scissors, bandages and gauze. And these were to treat only the injuries she could ascertain by looking at the baby only.

"Gordon!" An involuntary exclamation slipped past her lips when she glanced up and saw Gordon being helped into the helicopter. "Thank goodness." She whispered, turning her attention back to the baby.

The ropes were quickly unclipped from Gordon's harness and lowered down to the sole man now on the rocks. Derek was now knee deep in water. The waves reached his waist, visibly unbalancing him as they buffeted him with force.

Gordon meanwhile moved to kneel on the floor of the helicopter beside Jill. He brushed her knee briefly with his hand before setting to work, quickly attaching small sterile pieces of plastic together to complete the drip. Jill meanwhile assessed the injuries of the small form, eventually treating what she could, and making a note of what she could not.

Jill paused in her actions and raised her head, breathing deeply to refocus herself. At that moment, Derek was winched into the helicopter, the door sliding closed behind him.

"Are you okay?" She asked, taking in his soaked clothes.

Derek nodded, sinking down onto the bench behind him and laying his eyes upon the baby. "Is she going to make it?"

Jill and Gordon's eyes met for a moment, sharing a mutual understanding of the severity of the baby's condition. Jill took a deep breath and eventually answered. "We hope so."


	5. Chapter 5

They burst into casualty in a flurry of activity; the gurney holding the tiny form pushed by Ken Hopkirk and Nurse Beaumont. Staff Nurse Taylor ran alongside holding high the drip attached to the baby. Gordon and Jill rushed behind, shouting instructions to the hospital staff.

"Where's Mr Rose? He should be here!"

"He's tied up in theatre at Ashfordly."

She cursed under her breath, lifting her head to face the staff. "Gordon, you're on anaesthetics yes? Sister Brigid prepare the baby please. Staff Nurse, please find Alun and the theatre nurse. I'll be operating."

"Are you sure doctor?"

Jill sighed, not bothering to see which member of staff questioned her. "We don't have much of a choice do we? The baby will likely die before she gets to Ashfordly if we transfer her."

At the doctor's words, everyone sprang into action, each carrying out their tasks like the proverbial well-oiled machine. Within minutes, Gordon, Jill, Alun, Nurse Davenport and Nurse Beaumont were scrubbed and in the operating theatre. They watched as Gordon injected a syringe of clear liquid into one tiny arm. He counted down the seconds, checking the baby's responses. Once satisfied, he moved to the head of the table, nodding at Jill to indicate the child was anaesthetised. Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, she picked up the scalpel.

Palpations of the stomach in the helicopter and then in casualty had indicated internal bleeding. She guessed at a ruptured spleen, but the full extent of the damage was yet to be revealed.

With one more deep breath, she sank the blade into the young flesh, creating a neat incision. Exploration of the abdominal cavity told her of the stark reality of the situation. "Severe blood loss. Two units cross-matched please Nurse Beaumont. Ruptured spleen, perforated abdomen, and I think an artery has been severed… I can't tell, there's too much blood. Suction nurse, please!"

She was out of her depth and she knew it. Whilst she was a specialist in gynaecological procedures, and had plenty of experience in small operations such as appendectomies, hernia repairs and tonsillectomies, major trauma incidents such as this were transferred to Ashfordly where possible or carried out by Mr Rose.


	6. Chapter 6

He hovered outside the door. The simple barrier of oak shielded him from the problems lying in the room beyond. But he couldn't go in, not then, not after everything that had happened that day. He turned then, sighing despondently, seeing Jill exiting a side room further up the empty corridor; the evening heralding the night time quiet of the hospital with no out-patients and visitors. With the emergency surgery, she hadn't had time to tidy herself up. Her hair hung loose in its ribbon, many strands were free to frame around her face. Her tights were ripped and riddled with ladders, through which he could see bloodied scratches and scrapes. This, accompanied with the dazed expression in her eyes, made his heart go out to her. He walked forward, meeting her in the middle of the corridor.

"Well done." He whispered simply. "You were fantastic." Receiving only a small smile which didn't sparkle in her eyes as normal in response, he continued softly. "Come with me." He brushed her hand with his finger, briefly linking his index finger with hers.

She followed him silently, taking the time to attempt to tidy her hair; the calm brightness of the corridor made her suddenly self-conscious. The emergency had allowed no time straighten the wildness the wind and sea-spray had brought about, the theatre cap only making the situation worse.

He led the way out of the hospital, along Holbeck Road, and then across the Esplanade, down the steps beneath the clock tower, along the perimeter of the putting green and down a small slope. Only then did Jill realise where he was heading.

On a lower level to the putting green stood a small building, empty aside from a single bench running the length of it. The roof was held up by three walls, the fourth side open to the sea air. The inside was incredibly secluded, one could only see in if they were standing right in front of it. Even the sailors on the sea would be unable to discern the identity of the occupants.

He turned, placing on hand on her waist, his other on her cheek, drawing her to him. The first kiss was somewhat tentative, but when he felt her respond, the second was firmer, but incredibly tender all the same.

She drew her arms up around his neck, one hand wandering downwards to his shoulder, massaging the tension with gentle fingers. He slipped his hands around her, beneath her jacket, his fingers sending a shiver up her spine as they brushed her waist, eventually resting on her back. The kiss deepened, both eagerly receiving the sensations offered to them equally as eagerly by the other. The movement of their lips against each other served to dispel some of the tension and frustration of the day. Jill felt herself sag against Gordon, who in turn, tightened his arms, bringing her even closer against the solidity of his chest.

Eventually, they both drew away, ending the kiss with a couple more light brushes of their lips. They rested their foreheads together, their eyes closed, both perfectly comfortable in the hold of the other.


	7. Chapter 7

"Okay?"

Gordon's gentle murmur penetrated the silence the pair had shared for several minutes. With some reluctance, Jill raised her head from his shoulder, suddenly realising - now they were broken from their own little world - how chilly she was. She shivered a little, prompting Gordon to pull her back to him. Their temples rested together, both looking out to the calm expanse of sea. Neither could comprehend the vast difference to the strength of the waves crashing against the rocks they had stood upon that very morning.

"Sorry Gordon…" She breathed eventually. "I just needed a moment." The final part of the sentence was uttered with some reluctance; she hated showing any sort of weakness, though the meaning behind her words was unclear.

"You did really well Jill. That child stands a chance because of you." Feeling her begin to shake her head, he hurriedly continued. "It was a tricky procedure Jill, even Mr Rose would have thought so."

"Mr Rose should have carried it out. I'm perfectly competent in small immediate care cases, but not one like that. Perhaps we should have gone straight to Ashfordly."

"Hey." He turned to look her in the eye; hating the turn her tone was taking. "You said yourself the baby would have been unlikely to survive the journey. You took the best actions to try and save her life. Everyone admires you for how you kept it all running smoothly in that theatre… I'm proud of you."

"Thanks." She whispered eventually. "You know, it means more to hear that from you than anyone else."

Instead of a reply, his touched his lips to hers, letting her know without words how he appreciated her statement. The kiss threatened to overwhelm them again, and she let it. His words, combined with the touch of his lips against hers and his hands tracing her back, served to dispel most of the tension and anxiety of the day.

After a while, they pulled back reluctantly, though made sure the end the kiss lingeringly until the last possible second. "I guess we should be getting back." Gordon murmured, placing his lips to hers one final time. "Maybe we should actually see some of our patients this afternoon."

She made a noise of agreement. "And I need to check on the baby."

"Back to the grind then?" He asked brightly, holding out his hand.

"Back to the grind." She echoed, curling her fingers around his with a smile.


	8. Chapter 8

"How is she?"

"Oh, Doctor!" Despite Jill's soft voice, Staff Nurse Taylor had clearly been startled by her entrance into the peaceful room. "Her obs haven't changed. She seems stable."

Jill nodded, emitting a quiet sound of acknowledgement. She stepped alongside Meryl, to gaze down at the tiny form. Listening through her stethoscope indicated nothing amiss, and an examination of the incision site provided no cause for additional concern. However, the staff knew the situation was delicate. The trauma suffered would be a fight for any fit adult, but for such a young baby…

But they were all doing their utmost to give the child every chance of survival. The nursing staff were carrying out observations every 15 minutes, and Doctor Weatherill carried out addition examinations at least once an hour. It was going to be a long night for all concerned. Jill had already made the decision to stay at the hospital; if the baby's condition were to deteriorate, a doctor would need to be on hand as soon as possible.

"Right, well, she's showing no signs of worsening, which is good." She looped the stethoscope back around her neck and stepped back. "I'm officially finished for the day, so I'll be in my office if you need me."

"Right Doctor."

* * *

><p>In a different part of the hospital, Gordon closed an all too familiar door softly behind him. He turned and leant against the wooden barrier. Out of sight… A deep sigh escaped him as his troubles washed over him, as powerful as they always did when he entered that room. Seeing her lying there, as if she was asleep; it brought it all to the forefront of his mind. How often had he come home late from work and slipped between the sheets, warmed by that body? Or how many times had he awoken in the night and turned just to gaze at her sleeping features?<p>

The events of the day had occupied his mind. He'd performed his doctor's duty with the morning and evening surgeries, house calls, anaesthetising in theatre. Some might say he'd gone beyond his duty as a doctor, being winched from a helicopter onto rocks rapidly submerging by the sea. And now he'd completed his personal duty. A duty that was significantly less pleasant than tending to sick people.

"Doctor?" A soft voice penetrated his thoughts, a gentle hand was placed on his arm. "How is she?"

"To be expected." He sighed, tipping his head back against the dark wood. He may have been expected to continue, but there were only so many times he could repeat the details of her unchanging condition.

"I'm here if you need me Doctor."

"Thank you Sister." And he smiled; a small smile but a genuine one nonetheless. It helped, knowing there were people he could turn to should he need to.


	9. Chapter 9

He tapped on the door softly, easing it open as quietly as he could. One of the nurses had informed him of Jill's decision to stay in the hospital overnight. He therefore was careful not to make too much noise in case she was asleep.

As it was, she was seated at her desk, pen in hand, hovering above a notepad as she poured over a journal article before her. The paper was already half-filled with her curvy handwriting.

"Jill?" He uttered gently, smiling as she whipped round to face him, despite his attempts not to make her jump.

"What are you doing here so late?"

He shifted uncomfortably. "I erm… I've been with Caroline."

"Oh." She replied, forcing her tone not to reveal her emotions. She regretted asking, hating the awkward atmosphere that had fallen between them as he had uttered his wife's name. "How is she?"

"The same." It was the answer he always gave her; his wife's health was not something he wished to discuss with his lover. The main reason for this was not to hurt Jill. With this in mind, he quickly changed the subject. "Are you reading the new Lancet?"

She nodded, eventually meeting his gaze, instead of avoiding it as she had been when he spoke of his wife. "There are some very interesting articles. You can have it after I've finished.

"Thanks. You won't read it all tonight though. You will make sure you get some sleep won't you."

Such concern and interference, had it come from anyone but Gordon, would have been met by cutting sarcasm, and a glare to match. But as it was, she felt warmed, just knowing he cared. "I'll be fine Gordon."

The response was pretty much as he expected, but he pressed forward anyway. "Well look, if you want me to come in early, take over for a couple of hours, I will do."

"Thank you." She shook her head. "But you've got your children to think of. I'll be fine."

"Alright." He relented, closing the distance between them, taking her in his arms as she stood up to meet him. The kiss was soft and lingering, the embrace was tight and lengthy. That was, until Gordon reluctantly hitched back his sleeve to reveal his watch. With even more reluctance, he broke away, hearing her murmur a noise of regret as their arms relinquished contact with the other. "I'd better be getting home. I'll see you tomorrow Sweetheart."

Her crestfallen expression lit up with a small smile as he directed the sentiment to her. She'd never cease to feel a little thrill to hear him utter that word.


End file.
